The field of the invention generally relates to receptacles for receiving objects while preventing unauthorized access to the received objects, and more specifically to mail receptacles for receiving parcels and packages such as from delivery services, such as the United States Postal Service (USPS), Federal Express, United Parcel Service (UPS), or other private carriers and delivery services, and the like.
A variety of parcel receptacles have been previously provided, including some having devices for restricting access to parcels deposited into the receptacle to prevent theft or vandalism. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,980, issued to Irwin et al., discloses a parcel collection device having a bin which rotates between an open position in which parcels may be deposited into the bin and a closed position in which the parcels drop into a storage area or other storage base. The bin includes a front wall and a bottom wall connected together in an L-shape. The bin also includes a rotating trap door that forms a top of the bin opposing the front wall and, in the open position of the bin, the trap door is in a closed position with a first edge of the trap door adjacent the bottom wall. Thus, when the bin is in the open position, the trap door blocks access into the storage area. When the bin is rotated to the closed position, the trap door rotates such that the first edge of the trap door moves away from the bottom wall creating an opening through which a parcel placed in the bin can drop into the storage area.
Several other representative examples of parcel receptacles with access restricting devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 625,819, to Warfield; U.S. Pat. No. 890,766 to Hann; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,111,031 to Petri, which provide further background for the present.